IDENTITY

IDENTITY

            There’s an identity crisis happening throughout the world.  It’s not that identities are being stolen and credit card fraud is happening.  No, I’m talking about a much more malicious and deadly identity crisis.  This case is crippling, stifling, poisoning to anybody’s walk in any part of life.  We’ve been handed a counterfeit identity.  False ideas of who we are, lies that have sank into our hearts that have become truths in our lives.  To not know who you are is to not know who you’re created to be.  It’s what we know we aren’t that makes us who we are.  Let me number off a few things that you are not: worthless, stupid, a mistake, weak, not good enough. 

            You are valuable. If I have a dollar bill and I crumple it up, what is it worth?  What if I step on it repeatedly? Spit on it? Even yell at it?  Has the dollar lost its worth because of what I’ve done to it? I don’t think so.  Such is the case with us.  When we were created, at the very outset, God places such a high value on us.  The first part of your identity is that you’re worth far much more than you could ever imagine.  When the Creator, the King of the Universe sees that you’re dying in sin, and though you don’t deserve His love or sacrifice, declares anyway that, “you are Mine” and that He will die for you, I believe that speaks volumes to who you are and what you mean to the Lord.  To start with, can anybody say that they’ve gone to death and back to win your heart?  After such a value is placed upon your life—the life of Jesus—can anything really change it?  Your value is your identity and you have such high value.  “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.” Luke 12:7

            You are able.  Society doesn’t necessarily trample on us and tell us blatantly that we can’t do things, or that we’re unable to change the world.  Rather, it just preoccupies our time and steals our focus.  However, the enemy, the devil, loves to tell you that you can’t do anything.  See, you were created with great purpose and a mighty destiny was placed upon your life that scares the enemy.  What drives him is fear and hatred toward you.  Cite any young person in the Bible and tell me they didn’t do any incredible things.  David, a young man killed the giant Goliath.  Mary gave birth to Jesus.  Jeremiah was called to be a prophet at a young age.  Timothy was mentored by Paul and he was such a great catalyst to the advancing of the gospel.  “God used the weak things of this world to shame the strong, and the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.”  Young people aren’t foolish in the least, but what society sometimes will place on you is the idea that you can’t do anything because you’re young.  However, that is not the case because “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength,” and also “My grace is enough for you for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”  Here’s the greatest thing: Jesus believes in you.  He doesn’t doubt you; there’s no doubt in His being.  Do you think He would have created you if He didn’t think that you were capable of great things?  Jesus believes in you!

            For my life, identity has always been a big thing.  It has always been the area that the enemy likes to attack the most, and where Jesus has battled for me the most in my life.  It’s not an area of weakness, but one of my greatest vulnerabilities.  I know I am loved, I know He has created me, but I don’t always know who I am.  In recent weeks, Jesus has been reminding me of who I am and who I am not.  One of my biggest fears is to be a failure and to let people down.  Recently I’ve felt like I’ve let Jesus down and I’ve disappointed Him.  The calling placed upon my life is great and I don’t feel like I’ve lived up to that calling.  I’ve lost passion; the dream for my life has seemed to have just slipped away.  Sunday night, I was feeling defeated, and I knew I need prayer.  I went to a friend, a role model really who I’ve looked up to for some time, and the biggest thing that stuck with me in what he said was this: “Me, as a human being who fails, who is imperfect, whenever I have looked at you, I’ve never been disappointed.  Nor have I been in doubt over the calling that’s been placed on your life.  Now, if I an imperfect man can say that I’ve never doubted you, then how much greater that Jesus has never doubted you!”  I’ve been in a battle to be reminded who I am in Christ, and how much value I have on my life.  I’m reminded of the scene in Lion King, when Mufasa is appearing in clouds to Simba and is saying “Remember who you are. You are my son.”  I feel like, in several occasions that my heavenly Father has gently grabbed my face to look into His eyes and for me to listen to Him say: You are my son.

            You are loved.  It’s not just that He loves you, He likes you as well!  I will hammer this so many times in my lifetime: there is only One who can say that has been to death and back for anything.  And that anything is you.  People can say they love you to the moon and back, but can they say, as Jesus can, that they love you to death and back?  Jesus went to the cross!  But even more than that, He rose!  He died a death we were supposed to die so that we could live a life that He should have lived.  Never have I heard a story of a King who died for the prisoner.  But that’s why He did, and He did it all for you.  Even if you were to be the only one on this planet, Jesus would have died for you.  Jesus never regretted dying for us either.  “God showed His love for us in this: while we were still sinners Christ died for us.”  Jesus already knew all of the sin we would commit when He died, but He did it anyway.  He thought it was worth it; shouldn’t we think we’re worth it, too?

            You are a child of God.  Ephesians 1:4-5 “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.  In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.”  When it says that He “adopted” us, it means that He chose us.  It was no mistake that God chose us.  You are His.